


Redemption

by Mistress_Humble



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Biology, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Avengers Tower, Bottom Loki (Marvel), Dom Loki (Marvel), Eventual Smut, F/M, Heavy Petting, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Oral Sex, POV Loki (Marvel), Reincarnation, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Tumblr: imagine-loki, Tumblr: lokis-dirty-whispers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-08 20:38:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13466097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_Humble/pseuds/Mistress_Humble
Summary: Amelia is a girl with a special power she does not fully understand. When she is drawn to the Stark Tower by a powerful and mysterious instinct during the Chitauri invasion, she finds Loki, injured and unconscious. Deep inside her she knows that something is off, and that Loki is not fully responsible for his actions against Earth. But in order for the Asgardian to regain his honor and freedom, she has to prove it.





	1. Introduction and Clarification

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction that I am posting, but I have written many before. The storyline for "Redemption" has been rolling around in my head for a while, and I am just now getting around to writing it down. I hope you all enjoy!

A forward to all readers,  
What I am about to tell you is very important if you hope to understand the story ahead. I am viewing Loki’s actions in The Avengers (2012) movie as though he himself was under the control of the scepter, which contained the mind stone. What proof do I offer of his innocence? Hawkeye and Dr. Selvig were under the control of the scepter, and followed Loki’s orders throughout a large portion of the film. Their brainwashing only ended after both of them received a heavy blow to the head. While up in the Stark tower, the Hulk basically smashes Loki repeatedly into the hard floor. That is definitely head trauma if I've ever seen it. By the time Loki has composed himself, the wormhole has been closed and the Chitauri defeated. He seems almost disorientated when the Avengers approach him in order to arrest him, and his demeanor changes in the following movies. But, because he does not want to seem weak in the eyes of other, or because he does not want them to know that he can be controlled, he keeps it a secret that his actions at the time were not of his own.  
The story will switch from third person to first person as it goes. Just a quick heads up.  
I do not own, nor claim to own any characters or creatures that the company Marvel has created! However, I have chosen to change certain events and add a couple people into the story. The characters that I add are completely my own.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The introduction of our main characters and their social dynamic.

The floor refused to stop spinning, and the ringing in his ears only seemed to be getting louder. The broken floor cut into his back. “Where am I?” Loki thought to himself. “I know I’m in Midgard, but why?” He sorted through his memories of the past few weeks, but they were dulled and vague, as if he had been living with a bag over his head.   
“Please, do not move.” A woman’s voice drifted to his ears, and he tried to turn his head to find her. “You have suffered severe head trauma. You must stay still.”   
“You fool,” he murmured, “I am a god. A little tossling will not harm me.” He wish he believed what he told her. Warmth dripped down the sides of his head, spreading and slithering like a strange snake, encasing his head and neck to form a brace. “What foolish mortal spell are you casting? Do not waste your weak magic on me.”   
“It is not magic.” A petite woman scooted on her knees into his field of view from behind his head where he lay on the ground. His heart stopped for a moment and he struggled to keep his composure when he saw her face.   
Like the surface of a cooling lava flow, her charcoal skin cracked and breathed as if something flowed beneath it. Blue light shone out from underneath the crevices, growing brighter as it neared her eyes, which were completely sky blue. No pupils, no irises, no white, only glowing, shining blue light. When she spoke, again, it was as if many talked through one mouth.  
“It is life.”  
***  
“Ma’am, please back away from the supervillian,” Tony said as he flew through the broken windows of his once-beautiful tower. He wasn’t sure what he saw when she looked up at him in surprise. “Woah, you guys, I think we have another hostile. Possibly Chitauri influence. Need backup.” He pointed his open palm at the woman, who looked to him like some sort of demon. “Step away from him.”   
“I am no Chitauri, nor have I had contact with them.” She rose slowly from her knees. Her skin shimmered and vibrated, and became a smooth porcelain color, dotted here and there with the occasional freckle. She blinked, and her eyes became a warm brown. She was indistinguishable from any other human.  
“Shape shifter. We got a shapeshifter.” Tony informed Thor as he landed beside him.   
“Please, you misunderstand.” She showed her open and empty palms. “Let me explain.” The strange woman took a step forward. The Hulk could be heard climbing up the tower outside, grunting and smashing windows as he went.   
“We do not wish to harm you, now please step away from him.” Thor said in a soft voice, trying to coax her away from his brother, who lay half-conscious behind her on the floor.  
“No.” She put her fisted hands at her sides and stood tall. The Hulk climbed up over the edged and began to walk menacingly over to her. Thor held out his hand, and the large green beast begrudgingly came to a halt. There was a soft ding, and everyone turned to look at the elevator. The doors opened, and Steve, Natasha, and Clint stepped out.   
“Sorry we’re late.” Steve apologized. The woman grinned a little, amused.   
“Ok, seriously, I’m losing my patience, step away from the evil god.” Stark motioned to the side with his head.   
“You do not understand. His actions were not of his own accord.”  
“Bullshit.”   
“No, wait, let's hear her out.” Steve walked closer to Stark, eying her curiously.   
“I am completely open to hearing her, as soon as we get Reindeer Games over there into chains.”   
“He is not going anywhere anytime soon. Allow me to escort him to a holding chamber to put your minds at ease, then you will listen to what I have to say.” Steve, Tony, and Thor all glanced at each other, then back at her.  
“Not a chance,” Tony scoffed. “You don’t look like you could lift a ten pound weight.”   
“Please,” she begged. Steve sighed.   
“Alright.” The others all looked at him. “She has given us no indication so far that she isn't trustworthy. Plus, there are six of us and one of her.”   
“She had freaking demon skin!” Tony exclaimed. “She did this shimmery thing and changed right before Thor arrived.”   
“If being strange is a test of belivability, then none of us are trustworthy.” Natasha spoke up. Tony sighed.   
“Fine, fine, you guys win. Let's take the elevator.” The woman turned to Loki, who gazed up at her in a dazed state. She put her hand flat on the ground beside his head, and a strange liquid seeped and crawled toward his body. It was reflective but also colorful, like the back of a CD, or an oil spill on the street. It slithered under Loki’s body and began to lift him, balancing him on many small stems coming from the bottom of the slab that she formed under his body. They began to move slowly towards the elevator, the stems crawling like the little feet on the underside of a starfish. The room was silent as the strange woman and her curious living liquid transported the wounded gof to the elevator. Those who could not fly nor climb down stepped in behind her.   
“Getting in the elevator with the creepy demon girl? I’ll pass.” Tony chuckled. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs.” He took of, with Thor not far behind him. The Hulk simply jumped out.   
The elevator doors closed.  
***  
“First off, what the fuck are you?” Tony gestured to the woman, who sat at the head of the abandoned conference room table while the others sat in chairs or stood around.   
“Language…” Steve mumbled, mostly to himself.   
“I am human, like you.”  
“Yeah, fat chance of that,” Natasha scoffed.  
“Hear me out. I am a human. My name is Amelia. What you saw was an extension of a great power inside me.”  
“So like magic?” Bruce asked hesitantly. He had calmed down, and had been observing her in a reserved manner.   
“I am part of an ancient life force, called the Oversoul. It is a collection of souls which come together to form one symbiotic being. Think of it like a beehive. They are all individuals but they work together under the rule of a united leader.”   
“And you are the leader?” Tony skeptically asked.   
“Well, I am for now.”  
“What do you mean for now? You like take turns controlling one body? Like you’re possessed?” Tony chuckled.   
“No, no, that's ridiculous.” Amelia laughed, as if what she was about to say next made perfect sense. “We follow the Birth Order. We are born into a body, one of us leads until the body lives its natural lifespan, and then when the body goes to rest forever, we are born again, and another leads. That is what I mean when I say it is my turn. We have lived many lives, and now it is my turn to further us to our destiny.” The room was silent.   
“Then what was that stuff that came out of your hands?” Steve nervously asked.  
“Yeah, and the whole skin thing? That's really weird.” Tony interjected.   
“The Others Past aid me by letting me borrow their energy. They don’t always though. Only when we decide it is worth using all that effort. And the ‘skin thing’ is my Soul Form. That is what we look like, sort of.”  
“So you only have powers sometimes?” Clint questioned, leaning forward in interest.   
“No, I only have my complete strength sometimes. If the Others Past do not wish to help, they won’t give me their power. Only if they specifically agree.”   
“I don’t get it.” Natasha pressed her lips together. Amelia sighed.  
“Here, let me show you.” She opened her hands and little drops of what looked like mercury floated up into a ball, moving and flowing like a school of sardines. One of the drops separated and became larger than the others. “Think of this as me, as my soul. I am leading right now. Where I go, they follow.” The large ball lead the smaller ones around. “And lets say I want to create something.” The large drop fell to the table. “I ask the others to help. Those who are willing come to my aid, much like an army.” About two-thirds of the little drops lined up in front of the large one. “See, I still have power, but not as much as I have the potential for. Let's say all of them agree to help.” The last of the small drops fell into line, and then they merged and became a garden snake, which looked like it had been dipped in liquid mirror. “You see, I could have made a snake either way, but my snake is larger because everyone pitched in. Each unique soul made the decision to help.” Again the room was silent.  
“Is this really so strange to you?” Amelia sighed, dissolving the snake back into her hand. “You have a Norse god from ancient legend, a scientist who turns big and green when he gets angry, and a guy who flies around in the modern equivalent of a full suit of armor.” Natasha smirked.  
“She has a point, you know.”   
“Ok, now what does this have to do with Loki?”   
***  
Director Fury reached for his ringing cell phone. His mind still swamed from his one-on-one talk with Amelia, the girl with mysterious and ancient power, and he shook his head to clear it.   
“Fury here.” He answered, keeping his voice firm and commanding. “Yes, Loki is in custody, although things have taken a strange turn.” He waited for the man on the other end to ask the expected question. “Its complicated to explain. Basically, this girl showed up and claimed that Loki was brainwashed by his own scepter. That the scepter has a mind of its own. Yeah, I know how it sounds. But think of the deep shit we would be in if we charged Loki for crimes he did not intend to commit? I don’t want to start no war with the fuckin’ gods.” He was silent as the man on the other end shouted, turning down the volume a little to save his ears from unnecessary pain. “Yes, I know he nearly destroyed all of Manhattan! I was there, alright?! But she says she can prove it. She has a plan, and it sounds crazy enough that it might just work. She’s been on the radar for a while, but we decided she was a little bit too young to join the Avengers just yet. We wanted to see how she developed. We are going to keep her and Loki at the Stark tower until the defenses at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters are ready. Fury out.” He hung up the phone and sighed to himself as he dialled his secretary’s number.  
“I need you to handle something. I need you to contact the parents of an Amelia Steadfast and explain to them that S.H.I.E.L.D. will be working with their daughter for a period of time. Make it sound like a summer camp or something, don’t scare them. And I need you to contact her college and alert them to freeze her grades. We want her to be able to go back to her normal life when this is all over, if she still has one to go back to. Oh, and send a van to pick up her things from her dorm. She’ll be with us for a while.”


	3. Chapter Two

“I don’t want to even know why you have a dungeon in your basement,” Natasha gave Tony a strange look.  
“I told you, it's not a dungeon! Its a… its a holding cell.”  
“Aren’t they kind of the same thing?” Tony was about to object when Steve interrupted them both.   
“Are you sure it's a good idea to let her in there with him? Alone?” He seemed genuinely worried.  
“What, do you think maybe they’re working together? That this was a backup plan in case Loki’s takeover failed?” Natasha began to grow internally uneasy as well.  
“Maybe now is the time to find out. J.A.R.V.I.S., play us real time audio of what they're saying.” And almost as an afterthought, “And activate the Peeping Tom camera.” A panel in the wall outside the cell came to life, displaying the two people inside, sitting at opposite sides of the room.   
“They’re just… sitting there.” Steve leaned in to get a better look.   
“Maybe they are talking telepathically?”  
“They could be,” Steve turned to her, still thinking hard. “Do you know if Loki can do that?” Natasha shrugged.  
“You’d have to ask Thor.”  
“I’ll ask him when he gets back. He said the Allfather insisted that he come home immediately to Asgard to explain the situation.” Natasha nodded in response and grimly stared at the screen, crossing her arms over her chest.   
***  
My chest felt tighten and I looked at the floor to try to resolve some of the awkwardness in the small room. It was really easy to seem like I knew what I was doing when I was in a moment of action, when adrenaline raced through my veins and the Others Past swirled and called out to me in my mind. But, just like silt on the bottom of a pond after an oar pushes through the water above, their voices began to die down as until it was so very silent. I felt like it was just me, all alone in the giant auditorium that was my mind.  
“My name is Amelia, but you can call me Lia,” I said quietly, looking at the god who managed to look so passive despite the sentence on his shoulders. I was sure that his mind was not so easily calmed, but he did a very good job of hiding it. He simply looked at me and blinked, breathing out through his nose in a subdued sigh. He seemed very bored. “And your name is Loki Odinson, the prince of Asgard and son of the Allfather, Odin.”   
“That old fool is not my father.” He pursed his lips. “There,” I thought. “I finally got something out of him. It's a start.” Somehow, that bitter and correcting snap seemed vaguely familiar to me.   
“Do you know why I am here?” He made no indication that he had even heard me at all. “Maybe the problem is that I don’t even know why I am here…” I had followed the strong urgings of the Others Past, and used the commotion of the invasion to break into the Stark tower and climb to the top. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to be looking for when I got there. All I found was this man laying on the floor, wounded. And yet, as crazy as it sounds, I felt like I had known him for a very long time. I felt a prickling in the back of my mind, and before I knew what was happening, I asked a strange question.  
“Does the name Nanette mean anything to you?” For a moment, Loki looked like he had been slapped, and then as quickly as it had appeared, he regained his composure and looked off into the distance just above my head.  
“Not at all.”   
“Funny, because she remembers who you are, even if you don’t remember her.” I was treading on thin ice. My memories from being a part of the Others Past were not completely recovered. They had not reminded me of everything yet. Even so, they began to push events from one of our past lives up with such force that I shuddered involuntarily.   
“Nadette cannot ‘remember’ anything anymore.” His eyes narrowed dangerously at me. “She has gone on to Valhalla.”   
“No she hasn’t. She still lives.” Loki shot to his feet, his black hair flowing forward to cover part of his face.  
“You speak of events you to not understand!” I stood to meet his gaze. Although I was at least a good foot shorter than him, I walked forward and looked up, staring into his eyes, our faces inches apart. When I whispered, it was not my voice that made Loki’s eyes fill with tears, but that of a little girl.  
“I am the only one who understands.” Loki fell back like he had been shot, shouting hysterically.   
“It is some twisted trick! A Lie! It will not work! You cannot break me!” I myself did not fully understand what he was talking about, until one particular soul came forward in my mind. She opened my eyes, and it made sense. I stood over him as he looked at the ground, his shoulders hunched and tense in an effort to hide the fact that he was silently weeping.   
“It was a cold day for autumn. You were very excited because you got to wear your favorite coat, the one that had the black rabbit fur around the sleeves and collar. You used to like to pretend you were king when you wore it.” Loki shook his head below me. I closed my eyes and felt myself in another body, in another time, in another life. I remembered what it was like to be a child, growing up as Loki’s playmate. We were close; he was the prince and I would one day be duchess. “We wanted to go play by the lake before it completely froze over, to try to find frogs that had buried themselves in the mud, preparing for hibernation.” I sat down in front of him on my knees, lowering my voice. “You wanted to try to play on the ice by the edge of the lake. You told me it was thick enough, that I shouldn’t worry.”   
“Stop,” he croaked.  
“I was terrified when I heard the first crack. You were behind me, and I turned to try to stop you, but I was too late. You fell through. At first I wasn’t entirely sure I believed what I had just witnessed. Then, I jumped in after you.”   
“I said… stop.” Loki looked up at me, his eyes red, his teeth clenched.  
“The water was as black as ink and so cold that it burned. I couldn’t see you, but I reached out to grab you, trying to feel for any sign of you. I hit the bottom and felt tree branches scratch against my arms and chest. And then I grabbed something that must have been your ankle.”  
“Please…” Loki was begging. I knew I had hurt him, but I could not stop. This was the only way he would listen.   
“That coat…” I sighed and smiled sadly. “It was caught on a branch down there. I tugged and tugged, and despite my efforts, I could only feel it tear a little. So I grabbed you around the waist and pushed off the bottom, destroying the coat and leaving it behind, swimming towards the light, towards that hole in the ice.” He groaned, as if I was slowly dragging a knife across his chest and drawing blood. “I pushed you up over the ledge, using my own body to prop you up. My limbs felt like lead, and my heart was slowing. I couldn’t climb up. My hands were too slippery, too weak…You screamed to the sky for Heimdall to send for aid. I am sure he already had.”  
“Why… are you doing this to me…”   
“I could not feel my own body by the time you dragged me out of that hole and across the thin ice to shore. You wrapped your arms around me and cried. I felt myself falling.”  
“You are a witch… you… you are using my memories against me.” Loki looked up with a mad look in his eyes.”  
“Do you remember what I said?”  
“Shut up.”  
“I said ‘I’m sorry you lost your coat.’”   
“Shut up!” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He froze.  
“Please, Loki. Nanette and I want to help you. We both know…” I leaned in even closer and whispered into his ear. “...that it's not your fault.” His hands collided with my chest, shoving me off of him and onto the opposite wall of the cell. He was screaming curses as me, and I heard the door to the cell open and someone step in. “No!” I cried out, looking up to find Steve ready to knock Loki unconscious with a blow to the head. “I’m not finished!” Steve gravely nodded and restrained Loki, struggling to hold his arms behind his back.   
I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling the Others Past raise to the surface and out of my chest.  
***  
Steve was terrified. This pretty young woman’s skin was turning the color of ashes. She seemed to be concentrating hard. Her chest began to crack, and like a rock breaking through the surface of a cooling lava flow, and a girl pushed her way out, like one would to climb up out of a hole. The girl was blue, like the light shining out of Amelia’s shattered chest, which rose and fell steadily as if asleep. The apparition walked closer to Loki, who was frozen, eyes wide like a cornered animal.   
“Loki, it's me.” The girl smiled sweetly at him before hugging him tightly with her skinny arms. “I missed you.”  
“I…” the god was coming undone. “I missed you too, Nanette.”   
“I am sorry that you do not understand.” She pulled back from him, looking genuinely unhappy. “We will do our best to explain.”  
“What..are you?” The smile on the girls face was that of a being millenia older.  
“We are the Oversoul, a being much older than even the Allfather. We live many times over, in many different forms. We live until we complete whatever purpose fate has assigned us, and because we have appeared in your life twice now, we think it must have something to do with you.”


	4. Chapter Four

The bedroom that I was given in the Stark tower was almost as large as my whole dorm room and adjoining kitchen. For the first time in my entire life, I had a bathroom all to myself. Of course, I was not on the same floor as the Avengers, although Tony said I was “welcome to join them at any time.” I had yet to figure out of that was genuine or simply a formality.  
Loki remained in the cell in the basement. As much as it made my heart ache, I knew that perhaps that was a safer option, not only for us but for him as well. I had made up my mind that was soon as I got myself settled in my own room, I would go downstairs and bring him something. I’m sure a blanket would be welcome, and some books might not be such a bad idea either. After that, I would go upstairs and thank Steve for jumping in to protect me. I was sure that he was simply doing his job, but that did not mean I appreciated it any less.  
I closed my eyes as the elevator took me down. I had never pushed myself so hard as I had in these past few days. I had never been discouraged from using my abilities, even S.H.I.E.L.D. had told me that practicing was ok as long as I didn't decide to go “play hero.” I had watched and lended my energy to my fellow souls while I was one of the Others Past, and some of us had become great warriors and healers, while others of us lived quiet, simple lives. I had always assumed I would be one of the lesser lives. “Being peaceful never makes you lesser,” I felt the Others Past whisper to me, and I felt my lips lift to a smile.   
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I pulled the duffle bag off the ground and up onto my shoulder. I felt almost out of place as I walked down the great, silent hallway towards Loki’s cell. It only then occurred to me that I did not know how to get in when I was actually in front of the door. I know that Tony had some form of A.I. to help out around the tower, and I wondered if it would respond to me now that I lived here. “Computer, open the door,” I spoke aloud hesitantly.   
“My name is J.A.R.V.I.S., and you do not have clearance to enter Loki’s cell unsupervised.” Damn. How would I get in now? A mischievous smile spread across my face.   
“But I will not be unsupervised. You will be watching my every move. You will be supervising me, right? Or do you not have enough computing power to watch a little girl?” There was a silence for about two seconds. That was a long time for a supercomputer to think things over. Then the door slid open in front of me and I stepped in quickly before it sealed behind me.   
Loki was sitting with his back to the wall, head relaxed back and eyes closed. The only indication that I had that he was awake was his rate of breathing.   
“Hello,” I said quietly, putting my bag down and sitting cross-legged in front of him. As expected, he did nothing. “I brought you some things…” I unzipped the duffel bag and pulled out a stack of books. They were mixture of fantasy, sci-fi, and my general-ed college textbooks. I figured I wouldn’t need those for a while, so why not give him something more interesting than “uncultured Midguardian bedtime stories.” My lips twitched as I thought of him saying that. “And I brought you some makeshift bedding to make you more comfortable.” I pulled out a yoga mat, which was currently rolled up, one of my many fuzzy blankets I kept around, and a pillow from the bed in my new room.   
“Your feeble attempts at bribing me with comforts will not work.” He sighed indignantly, not even bothering to open his eyes.   
“I am not bribing you. We are going to be seeing each other a lot more, and I felt maybe I should make up for giving you such a difficult time when we first met.”   
“And why is that?” His eyebrows raised, his eyes still closed. I pursed my lips as the weight of the task ahead of me laid on my shoulders.  
“Because I am going to prove your innocence to both the leaders of Earth and Asgard.” He opened his eyes and looked at me, his expression mildly amused.   
“Oh you are, are you?” I sighed in frustration and quickly stood up, grabbing my empty bag.  
“Yes, I am, and you are going to help me.” Before he had a chance to reply, I got up and walked out, the door opening and closing quickly. As I walked down the hallway, I spoke out into the empty air. “J.A.R.V.I.S., please alert me if he begins to use any of the materials I left for him.”  
“I will do so. He has already picked up and opened the book titled ‘The Psychology Behind Human Relationships.’” I smiled to myself. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.   
***  
Amelia timidly walked down the hallways for Avenger’s living floor. “According to J.A.R.V.I.S., there should be a common room as soon as I turn left up here…” she mumbled aloud. She could hear the sound of raised voices and laughter ahead.  
The room went silent as she walked in. Tony, Steve, and Thor sat around a large table, bottles and glasses littering it's surface. Her face flushed and she looked at the floor.   
“I can come back later if this is not a good time,” she said awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. The men glanced at one another, then back at her.   
“There is no need for shyness, my lady. Come join us!” Thor motioned, his face lighting up. Amelia nodded and pulled up a chair. Tony began to pour her a drink but stopped halfway through.   
“Wait, you’re legal, right?”  
“I’m 23, so yes, I’m legal.” Tony snickered and continued to pour. “That's enough, thanks. I’m a bit of a lightweight.” He shrugged, and she took a swig of the expensive hard liquor. Her throat burned, but the spicy taste and warm feeling in her belly was calming nonetheless. The table was silent.  
“I just wanted to say,” she started to speak, and they all looked at her. “Thank you. For giving me a chance.” The others were silent, suddenly interested in their drinks. “I won’t let you down.” She added. The silence continued. Embarrassed, Amelia threw her drink back, set the glass upside down and stood. “Thank you… that was all I wanted to say.” She pushed in her chair and excused herself. As she left the room, she heard their voices begin again, softer and somber this time. Her face burned from the alcohol and embarrassment.


End file.
